Swimmer&#39;s appliance



A. GLAD sept. 2s, 1937.

SWIMMERS APPLIANCE Filed Oct. 12, 1956 'ZJINVEN-ron ATTORN EYS Patented Sept. 28, 1937 nire STATES ATENT OFFICE SWIMMERS APPLIANCE Andrew Glad, Donovan, Ill.

Application October 12, 1936, Serial No. 105,300

1 Claim.

The invention relates to a swimmers appliance and more especially to a swimming shoe.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an appliance of this character, wherein the same is eifectively designed for use by swimmers when operating under the well known crawl stroke for eflicientpropelling effect during the swimming operation.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an appliance of this characten wherein the construction thereof is novel in form and is adaptable for water sports and swimming and when worn will assure fast swimming as well as distance swimming with minimum exertion on the' part of the swimmer.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an appliance of this character, which is extremely simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and effective in its operation, conveniently worn on the feet of a swimmer, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objectsin view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a swimmer with the appliance constructed in accordance with the invention applied.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View of the appliance.

Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3 3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows showing by full lines the closed position and by dotted lines the open position of the appliance.

Figure 4 is a sectional View on the line 4--4 of Figure 2.

40 Similar reference characters indicate correspending parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the appliance constituting the present invention comprises a sole piece 5 having built thereon a heel portion 6 while near the tce end of this sole 5 and at the heel portion t are front and rear fastening straps 'I and 8, respectively, so that the sole 5 can be detachably fastened to the foot of a wearer.

The sole 5 at the arch or intermediate portion 9 on its outer face carries a pintle bearing IB which is disposed transversely of said sole and accommodates a pivot pintle II which is engaged in pintle eyes I2 at the inner end of a blade or iin I3 which is in the nature of a foot wing and is swingingly supported from the bearing I0 for opening and closing movements with respect to the sole when worn on the foot of a wearer.

Mounted upon the pintle II is a coiled closer spring I4 having the portion I5 thereof playing against the wing I3 and by the tension of this spring such wing is normally in closed position contacting with the sole 5.

Attached to the sole 5 and to the wing I3 at opposite side edges thereof are ieXible members I6 in the form of cords, these being of a determined length so as to limit the opening movement of the wing I3 when the appliance is worn by the foot of a wearer and during swimming activity.

With the appliance attached to the feet of a wearer as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing its use involves merely working the legs and feet up and down in the water and preferably the feet will be moved up and down alternately as is usual in the crawl stroke of swimming. As the swimmers foot is moved upwardly the fin or wing I3 will automatically assume the position shown in Figure 1 of the drawing by full lines and on the lowering of the foot the wing or fm l 3 will assume the position shown by dotted lines in said Figure 1 of the drawing. As the foot is operated by reverse movements the pressure of the water against the wing or 1in I3 will reverse its position and thus such iin or wing will automatically open and close and under this action faster swimming may be had as well as distance swimming with minimum exertion on the part of the swimmer.

What is claimed is:

A swimmers appliance comprising a sole piece, a heel portion built on said sole piece and forming a heel socket, fore and aft fasteners associated with the heel portion and sole for securing a foot to the sole piece with the heel of said foot tting the heel socket, spaced bearings car- 'ried by said sole piece close to the heel socket, a wing having a medial cut-out portion providing spaced outwardly extending pivot ears, the cutout portion being adapted to accommodate the spaced bearings, a pivot engaged through the 4 ears and bearings for swingingly connecting the wing to the sole piece, a spring embracing the pivot and having coils confined within the cut-out portion and active against the wing and sole piece for tensioning of said wing and urging it against the sole piece, and flexible members connected with the sole piece at opposite side edges thereof and also with opposite side edges of the wing for limiting the swinging movement of the latter relative to the sole piece.

ANDREW GLAD. 

